Category: Panel Discussions

DOC’s session as part of Hot Docs 2024 Industry Conference and Market

Info:

The Documentary Organization of Canada begins its 41st year in the midst of some seismic shifts across our sector: massive cutbacks at Canadian broadcasters and American streamers, restructuring at the NFB, the explosion of artificial intelligence, and a complete overhaul of Canada’s audiovisual policy. All under the shadow of a federal election in fall 2025. Needless to say, there is the potential to get an enormous amount done over the next year and a half. Join DOC’s Executive Director Sarah Spring for a roundup of DOC’s advocacy work and everything documentary-policy related.

DOC Institute’s Meet the Funder series is back!

Join DOC Institue for a virtual conversation with Natasha Negrea (Head of Programming) and Alexandra Roberts (Commissioning Editor, Documentaries Programming and Content).

The session will be free to attend. Stay tuned for registration details!

📅 Wednesday, February 21st
🕒 5:00pm ET
📍 ZOOM

At the height of a dramatic reconfiguration of Canada’s film and television funding, the Documentary Organization of Canada releases a major report on the state of documentary production in this country. In this session, DOC will share their findings for the first time, and explain why this latest edition of their “Getting Real” reports could be a game-changer for documentary filmmakers.

The panel will feature Kadon Douglas, Executive Director of BIPOC TV & Film, Owen Sherman, Senior Analyst at Nordicity, and Sarah Spring, Executive Director of DOC. The event will feature a special presentation by Mehernaz Lentin, National Director of Feature Film, Telefilm Canada.

Please note that access is limited to TIFF Industry and Conference passholders.

Thank you to our generous partners who have sponsored Getting Real 7!

DOC is extremely grateful to Nordicity for creating this report

DOC will be present at Gimli International Film Festival!

Growing from DOC’s wonderful meetings with local filmmakers at the Available Light Film Festival this past winter, DOC is looking forward to hear from Manitoba doc-makers as part of DOC’s Strategic Goal to connect with and work to strengthen local Chapters. In this session, DOC National Executive Director Sarah Spring will receive feedback from documentary filmmakers in Manitoba. This will be an opportunity to share ways that DOC National can better serve the documentary sector in the region as DOC shapes the next round of National programs to support filmmakers.

DOC will be present at Gimli International Film Festival!

Growing from our wonderful meetings with local filmmakers at the Available Light Film Festival this past winter, attending Gimli to connect with Manitoba doc-makers is part of DOC’s Strategic Goal to connect with and work to strengthen our local Chapters.

DOC’s principal mandate is to advocate on behalf of documentary creators for a sustainable, equitable, inclusive, fair and functional film industry. This discussion aims to ensure that filmmakers in Manitoba are informed of Federal Policy changes that affect them at ground zero, such as Bill C-11 and changes on the horizon for the cultural funds from Heritage Canada. This discussion will also be led by Joy Loewen, CEO of National Screen Institute

About the National Screen Institute – Canada (NSI)

Propelled by a visionary network of donors, private and public organizations, board members
and staff, the National Screen Institute supports creators from across Canada to tell
unforgettable stories. Through industry-informed training and mentoring in film, television
and digital media, students and alumni find their voice and place on the global stage,
inspiring us to shape a better world.

We are committed to training participants from a diverse community of voices including
Black, Indigenous, People of Colour, women, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer or
questioning and two-spirit (LGBTQ2S+), people with disabilities, those outside large urban
centres, those from regional and remote areas and various religious groups.

The Documentary Organization of Canada Atlantic Chapter has partnered with the Lunenburg DOC Fest and DOCTalks Festival & Symposium to present a series of nine conversations in 2023. The next three conversations will take you deeper into the world of  Community Engagement & Alternative Distribution.

Hundreds of documentary films are pitched to broadcasters each year, but most do not receive a CRTC regulator broadcast-streaming license and/or government film agency funding. This lack of access to financing and distribution has led many independent producers to engage with community partners to create, finance and distribute their documentary films using a cross-sector approach. Join us in June as we present three documentary media conversations: i)  Collaborating in a Community of Creators, ii) Producing Social Impact Films,  and iii) Alternative Distribution in Canada.

Alternative Distribution in Canada

Becky Tennyson and Patrick Watt manage two non-profit, CRTC regulated, community TV stations that collectively reach an estimated 800,000 households across New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Canada. They will share information about their community TV stations and a new documentary film strand being planned called DOCTalks Presents.

Florence Lamothe and Naomie Decarie are with Tënk, a not-for-profit, independent subscription-based streaming platform, dedicated to the promotion of documentary cinema, and available online across Canada. It was launched in Quebec in February 2020 and they will discuss Tënk’s mission and operations.

The Documentary Organization of Canada Atlantic Chapter has partnered with the Lunenburg DOC Fest and DOCTalks Festival & Symposium to present a series of nine conversations in 2023. The next three conversations will take you deeper into the world of  Community Engagement & Alternative Distribution.

Hundreds of documentary films are pitched to broadcasters each year, but most do not receive a CRTC regulator broadcast-streaming license and/or government film agency funding. This lack of access to financing and distribution has led many independent producers to engage with community partners to create, finance and distribute their documentary films using a cross-sector approach. Join us in June as we present three documentary media conversations: i)  Collaborating in a Community of Creators, ii) Producing Social Impact Films,  and iii) Alternative Distribution in Canada.

Producing Social Impact Films

Hannah Minzloff is a social impact producer who will share her knowledge and experiences about community-based partnerships, funding, distribution and audience engagement through the lens of three documentary media projects. Six primrose – the power of food to build community, Dementia Dad & Me – family experiences with dementia, and Wicked Bodies – queer community eating disorders.

TRUEFAUX’S IMPACT FILMS

Having launched an initiative to normalize conversations about mental health in the Canadian documentary field last autumn, the Documentary Organization of Canada and the team at DocuMentality, with the financial support of the Canada Media Fund, conducted a series of focus groups to assess well-being among documentary industry professionals nationwide.

The findings are being released immediately following the panel, in Canada’s first in-depth analysis of mental health and well-being in the production sector. This session offers insights into their findings, guidance for best practices and testimonies geared toward implementing structural change.

Please note that access is limited to Hot Docs passholders with Industry All-Access Pass | Conference & Networking Pass | Conference Pass.

A contemporary interpretation of the Fair Use provisions of US Copyright law has revolutionized documentary filmmaking in recent years. Working closely with LA law firm Donaldson & Califf, White Pine Pictures has taken advantage of Fair Use provisions in several of their recent films including Buffy Sainte-Marie, Margaret Atwood, Ice-Breaker, All Governments Lie, Toxic Beauty and others.

Join White Pine Pictures President and founder, Peter Raymont to hear about Fair Use in Canadian documentary films.

🗓️ December 6th, 2022
🕔 2:00pm ET

Over the past year, CBC has introduced new equity, diversity and inclusion requirements for their productions.DOC has invited CBC’s team to speak about these changes, and to answer any questions you may have about how this will impact your current or future documentaries with CBC.

Dans le courant de l’année écoulée, CBC/Radio-Canada a mis en place de nouvelles exigences d’équité, de diversité et d’inclusion pour leurs productions. DOC a invité l’équipe de CBC/Radio-Canada à venir nous parler de ces changements et à répondre à toute question que vous vous posez sur l’impact que ces nouvelles règles pourraient avoir sur vos documentaires actuels ou à venir produits avec la CBC/SRC.

🗓️ Monday, October 24, 2022
🕔 2:00pm ET

The Association québécoise de la production médiatique, the Documentary Organization of Canada and the Canadian Media Producers Association invites its members to join Julie Blondin, National Director, Business affairs & Coproductions, Telefilm Canada as she presents the new Canada – France co-production treaty, highlighting the changes and new elements. The presentation will be followed by a Q&A session.

🗓️ Tuesday, September 20, 2022
🕔 2:30pm

*English session only // French session will be on September 28*

⭐ Great News!

DOC is extremely pleased to announce that we will be participating in DocuMentality: an initiative that seeks to normalize conversations about mental health and well-being in our industry. DOC is participating in this initiative in order to have clear data to bolster our advocacy for sector commitments to support mental health and well being initiatives for documentary creators.

DOC is presenting a panel discussion at TIFF that outlines the results of the UK and US focus groups that launched Documentality earlier this year, and we’ll share our plans for Documentality in Canada.  The information we collect in the therapist-led Canadian focus groups will become a guide to normalizing conversations around mental health in our sector; how documentary filmmakers can become more resilient resources for themselves, their teams and the people who entrust them with their stories; and what actions DOC can take to advocate for sectoral change.

DOC at TIFF!

DocuMentality is an expanding initiative seeking to normalize conversations about mental health in the documentary industry and provide best-practice guidance for filmmakers. The project began with efforts in the UK and US. Now, the Documentary Organization of Canada (DOC) is spearheading a new wave of focus groups with support from the Canada Media Fund. On this panel, we’ll hear from DocuMentality team member Malikkah Rollins and DOC’s Sarah Spring about the past, present, and future of the movement. We’ll also hear from filmmaker Rebeca Huntt describing what she learned about maintaining mental balance in the making of her intensely personal film Beba, which premiered at TIFF last year. Moderator: Inney Prakash (Maysles Documentary Center)

🗓️ Tuesday, September 13, 2022
🕔 3:00pm

In recent years, the National Film Board of Canada has made changes to its distribution, communications and marketing departments, to meet the needs of each film produced or co-produced by the NFB.

Responding to DOC Canada’s invitation, Anne-Claire Lefaivre (Marketing), Lily Robert (Communications) and Nathalie Bourdon (Distribution) will not only explain the composition and roles of their teams, but will break down the entire process from A to Z.

In these sessions, facilitated by DOC Executive Director Sarah Spring, the NFB will demystify what happens once you begin working with the Film Board, who is responsible for your project, and who will keep you informed throughout the release.

These sessions are offered by region so that the NFB can explain how the process is tailored to the local needs of each filmmaker to ensure their artistic vision is seen and reaches their audience.

These sessions also include a discussion period to answer any questions you may have.

Also present will be your studio’s Executive Producer and Regional Marketing Manager, as well as, Director, Indigenous Relations and Community Engagement, J’net Ayayqwayaksheelth, and Director, Diversity, Equity & Inclusion, Rachel Décoste.

• Marketing Manager: TBC
• Publicist: Nadine Viau

Sessions are scheduled to run for 1 hour and 15 minutes.

Everyone is welcome, DOC members and non-DOC members.

Note: This session will be in French. If you’d like to attend an English language webinar, DOC will be offering six webinars, each hosted by a different regional DOC Chapter.

Au cours des dernières années, l’Office national du film du Canada (ONF) a apporté des changements aux services de distribution, de communication et de marketing pour répondre aux besoins de chaque film produit ou coproduit par l’organisation.

En réponse à l’invitation lancée par l’Association des documentaristes du Canada (DOC), Anne-Claire Lefaivre (marketing), Lily Robert (communication) et Nathalie Bourdon (distribution) participeront à des séances de présentation afin non seulement de décrire la composition et les rôles de leurs équipes, mais aussi de décomposer l’ensemble du processus de mise en marché de A à Z.

Durant ces séances, animées par la directrice générale de DOC, Sarah Spring, l’ONF précisera ce qu’il advient une fois que vous commencez à y travailler, mais aussi qui est responsable de votre projet et qui est chargé de vous tenir au courant tout au long du processus. 

Ces séances sont offertes par région afin que l’ONF puisse expliquer comment le processus est adapté aux besoins locaux de chaque cinéaste, pour que sa vision artistique rejoigne son public.

Une période d’échanges est également prévue à la fin de chaque séance pour que vous puissiez poser vos questions.